Denver peeps

[mikeyis4dcats.]

The wife and I are considering a trip to your fair city in late August for a concert at Red Rocks and some sightseeing. What should we see and do? Where should we stay?

[tooge]

I wouldn't go there without taking a crap in the investco stadium parking lot

[ClevelandBronco]

Originally Posted by tooge

I wouldn't go there without taking a crap in the investco stadium parking lot

In that neighborhood, no one would think anything of it even if you were noticed.

[COchief]

If you want help, we can give it to you, but you need to provide some details:

Budget? Mtns or City? Interests? Age? Kids? Length of stay? Flying/Driving? Fat or Fit? First visit to CO, if not where did you go and did you enjoy it?

Don't want to be to prickly, but if you would like GOOD suggestions you should probably list this in your OP.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by COchief

If you want help, we can give it to you, but you need to provide some details:

Budget? Mtns or City? Interests? Age? Kids? Length of stay? Flying/Driving? Fat or Fit? First visit to CO, if not where did you go and did you enjoy it?

Don't want to be to prickly, but if you would like GOOD suggestions you should probably list this in your OP.

Budget, not looking to break the bank, but I'm not Guru either.

Mtns or City - City....we aren't into skiing or hiking. We do like scenery though, so we would probably want to do part of a day seeing nature.

We enjoy art, food, and music.

Age - mid 30s. Kid free trip.

Coming in Thursday morning, leaving Sunday.

First visit in many many years.

[threebag]

They still have Casa Bonita's in Denver?

[houstonwhodat]

Go to Estes Park 30 miles up in the mountains from Denver.

The entire park will be open then and it's just beautiful there.

You can stay at the Holiday Inn if you want real cheap then drive around.

Or get a cabin.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by houstonwhodat

Go to Estes Park 30 miles up in the mountains from Denver.

The entire park will be open then and it's just beautiful there.

You can stay at the Holiday Inn if you want real cheap then drive around.

Or get a cabin.

we must have a different map, mine says it's 70 miles and 90 minutes

[DaFace]

I missed this, but bop me a PM if I forget about this. I'll try and respond this evening.

As a preview, I'm going to suggest you consider staying downtown if you can fit it in the budget, visiting the art museum and some of the other cultural attractions, and making one drive up into the mountains (because it's criminal if you don't).

[Strongside]

[DaFace]

Also, who are you seeing at Red Rocks?

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Also, who are you seeing at Red Rocks?

FUN.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

FUN.

Cool - that's why I asked. I got the email today and was considering going as well. I've followed Nate since his old days with The Format and have seen Fun the past three times they came to town (including 1.5 months ago). So, as much as I'd love to see them at Red Rocks, I think I'm in for a breather on this one.

Anyway, as others have said, there's a lot to do around downtown Denver, so I'd try and get down there at some point if you can. However, you're going to be out late over on the west side of the metro area on Thursday night, so you might consider saving a few bucks by staying out that direction somewhere instead. There are lots of options, but if you're looking for something more than random chain along the highway, think about the Golden Hotel (in Golden). Golden's got a great little downtown area, and the scenery can't be beat. There are a number of cool restaurants down there as well.

If you're up for a mountain-y day, I'd do it on Friday to avoid the weekend crowds. Consider heading to Idaho Springs (about 30 minutes through a cool canyon on highway 6) for a mountain town experience (albeit a touristy one in the summer). If you're up for a bit of a driving adventure, you can head from there up Mt. Evans road. It's not for the faint of heart, but you can't get better views from a car in this state anywhere else except maybe Trail Ridge Road.

After that, you might think about making your move to downtown Denver (though you could just drive in instead if you'd rather not have to move locations while you're here). Friday/Saturday nights downtown are a lot of fun, and you're perfectly safe along the 16th Street Mall. It will be MUCH quieter down there during the day on Saturday, so I'd take that time to shop if that's your thing, or head to the Art Museum, History Museum, etc. If you're into good beer, we have a million microbreweries, so you could do something like tour Great Divide while you're downtown. If you're still not beyond your budget, you could even catch a show at the Denver Center (the broadway tour of Peter and the Starcatcher opens in Denver during that time if that kind of thing is up your alley).

There ya go. Vacation planned.

(Or at least I hope that helps to get your thinking going.)

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Cool - that's why I asked. I got the email today and was considering going as well. I've followed Nate since his old days with The Format and have seen Fun the past three times they came to town (including 1.5 months ago). So, as much as I'd love to see them at Red Rocks, I think I'm in for a breather on this one.

Anyway, as others have said, there's a lot to do around downtown Denver, so I'd try and get down there at some point if you can. However, you're going to be out late over on the west side of the metro area on Thursday night, so you might consider saving a few bucks by staying out that direction somewhere instead. There are lots of options, but if you're looking for something more than random chain along the highway, think about the Golden Hotel (in Golden). Golden's got a great little downtown area, and the scenery can't be beat. There are a number of cool restaurants down there as well.

If you're up for a mountain-y day, I'd do it on Friday to avoid the weekend crowds. Consider heading to Idaho Springs (about 30 minutes through a cool canyon on highway 6) for a mountain town experience (albeit a touristy one in the summer). If you're up for a bit of a driving adventure, you can head from there up Mt. Evans road. It's not for the faint of heart, but you can't get better views from a car in this state anywhere else except maybe Trail Ridge Road.

After that, you might think about making your move to downtown Denver (though you could just drive in instead if you'd rather not have to move locations while you're here). Friday/Saturday nights downtown are a lot of fun, and you're perfectly safe along the 16th Street Mall. It will be MUCH quieter down there during the day on Saturday, so I'd take that time to shop if that's your thing, or head to the Art Museum, History Museum, etc. If you're into good beer, we have a million microbreweries, so you could do something like tour Great Divide while you're downtown. If you're still not beyond your budget, you could even catch a show at the Denver Center (the broadway tour of Peter and the Starcatcher opens in Denver during that time if that kind of thing is up your alley).

There ya go. Vacation planned.

(Or at least I hope that helps to get your thinking going.)

rep for great tips. what time should we stop by for dinner?

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

rep for great tips. what time should we stop by for dinner?

Ha...you don't want me to cook.